SILVERCORP REPORTS ADJUSTED NET INCOME OF $13.4 MILLION, $0.08 PER SHARE FOR Q3 FISCAL 2022, AND ISSUES FISCAL 2023 PRODUCTION, CASH COST, AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE GUIDANCE

<br /> SILVERCORP REPORTS ADJUSTED NET INCOME OF $13.4 MILLION, $0.08 PER SHARE FOR Q3 FISCAL 2022, AND ISSUES FISCAL 2023 PRODUCTION, CASH COST, AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE GUIDANCE<br />

PR Newswire





Trading Symbol:


TSX:




SVM



NYSE AMERICAN: SVM






VANCOUVER, BC

,

Feb. 8, 2022

/PRNewswire/ –




Silvercorp Metals Inc.



(“Silvercorp” or the “Company”) (TSX: SVM) (NYSE American: SVM) reported its financial and operating results for the third quarter ended

December 31, 2021

(“Q3 Fiscal 2022). All amounts are expressed in US Dollars, and figures may not add due to rounding.




Q3 FISCAL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS









  • Mined 292,072 tonnes of ore and milled 304,772 tonnes of ore, up 5% and 17% compared to the prior year quarter.



  • Sold approximately 1.7 million ounces of silver, 1,100 ounces of gold, 17.2 million pounds of lead, and 7.6 million pounds of zinc, representing increases of 4%, 38%, and 2% in silver, gold and lead sold, and a decrease of 15% in zinc sold, compared to the prior year quarter.



  • Revenue of

    $59.1 million

    , up 11% compared to

    $53.3 million

    in the prior year quarter.



  • Net income attributable to equity shareholders of

    $5.1 million

    , or

    $0.03

    per share, compared to

    $8.4 million

    , or

    $0.05

    per share in the prior year quarter. The decrease was mainly due to a mark-to market charge of

    $8.5 million

    against equity and bond investments in the current quarter.



  • Adjusted earnings attributable to equity shareholders of

    $13.4 million

    , or

    $0.08

    per share, compared to

    $13.8 million

    , or

    $0.08

    per share in the prior year quarter. The adjustments were made to remove impacts from non-recurring items, share-based compensation, foreign exchange gain/loss, impairment adjustments and reversals, gain/loss on equity investments and the share of associates’ operating results.



  • Cash flow from operations of

    $28.7 million

    , up 20% or

    $4.7 million

    compared to

    $23.9 million

    in the prior year quarter.



  • Cash cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits, of negative

    $1.33

    compared to negative

    $2.76

    in the prior year quarter.



  • All-in sustaining cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits, of

    $8.82

    , compared to

    $6.92

    in the prior year quarter


    .



  • Strong balance sheet with

    $211.6 million

    in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, down

    $9.5 million

    or 4% compared to

    $221.1 million

    as at

    September 30, 2021

    . This does not include the investments in associates and equity investment in other companies, having a total market value of

    $156.2 million

    as at

    December 31, 2021

    (

    $172.8 million

    as at

    September 30, 2021

    ).




FISCAL 2023 PRODUCTION








GUIDANCE





  • To mine and process approximately 1,040,000 – 1,140,000 tonnes of ores, yielding 6,300 to 7,900 ounces of gold, 7.0 million to 7.3 million ounces of silver, 68.4 million to 71.3 million pounds of lead, and 32.0 million to 34.5 million pounds of zinc.



  • The guidance represents a production increase of approximately 9% in ores, 100% in gold, 11% in silver, 3% in lead, and 12% to 21% in zinc compared to the Fiscal 2022 guidance.



  • The increased production guidance is made possible by over 629,000 metres of exploration and resource


    upgrade drilling completed at the mines from 2020 to 2021. During 2021 alone, over 409,000 metres of drilling were completed.




CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS




Three months ended December 31,



Nine months ended December 31,



2021



2020



Changes



2021



2020



Changes



Financial



Revenue (in thousands of $)



$



59,079


$


53,296



11%



$



176,333


$


156,373



13%



Mine operating earnings (in thousands of $)



21,476


24,801



-13%



70,592


70,758



0%



Net income attributable to equity shareholders



5,063


8,392



-40%



26,668


39,355



-32%



Earnings per share – basic ($/share)



0.03


0.05



-40%


0.15


0.23



-35%



Adjusted earnings attributable to equity shareholders



13,360


13,846



-4%



42,740


38,838



10%



Adjusted earning per share – basic ($/share)



0.08


0.08



0%



0.24


0.22



9%



Net cash generated from operating activities (in thousands of $)



28,666


23,938



20%



95,972


83,681



15%



Capitalized expenditures (in thousands of $)



18,708


17,242



9%



44,031


38,560



14%



Cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments (in thousands of $)



211,614


204,121



4%



211,614


204,121



4%



Working capital (in thousands of $)



181,266


168,748



7%



181,266


168,748



7%



Metals sold



Silver (in thousands of ounces)



1,721


1,647



4%



5,092


5,259



-3%



Gold (in thousands of ounces)



1.1


0.8



38%



2.9


4.1



-29%



Lead (in thousands of pounds)



17,155


16,806



2%



51,284


56,242



-9%



Zinc (in thousands of pounds)



7,588


8,965



-15%



22,469


23,334



-4%



Average Selling Price, Net of Value Added Tax and Smelter Charges



Silver ($/ounce)



18.44


18.65



-1%



19.35


17.10



13%



Gold ($/ounce)



1,367


1,528



-10%



1,448


1,394



4%



Lead ($/pound)



0.92


0.76



21%



0.89


0.74



20%



Zinc ($/pound)



1.10


0.88



25%



1.05


0.74



42%



Net income attributable to equity shareholders of the Company



in Q3 Fiscal 2022 was

$5.1 million

or

$0.03

per share, compared to

$8.4 million

or

$0.05

per share in the three months ended

December 31, 2020

(“Q3 Fiscal 2021”).



Adjusted earnings attributable to equity shareholders of the Company



in Q3 Fiscal 2022 was

$13.4 million

, or

$0.08

per share, compared to

$13.8 million

, or

$0.08

per share Q3 Fiscal 2021. The adjustments were made to remove the impacts from non-cash and unusual items, including elimination of share-based compensation, foreign exchange loss, share of loss in associates, gain or loss on equity investments, impairment adjustments and reversals, and one-time items.


Compared to Q3 Fiscal 2021, the Company’s consolidated financial results in the current quarter were mainly impacted by i) an increase of 21% and 25%, respectively, in the realized selling prices for lead and zinc; and ii) an increase of 4%, 38% and 2%, respectively, in silver, gold and lead sold; offset by iii) an 1% and 10% decrease in the realized selling prices for silver and gold; iv) a 15% decrease in zinc sold; v) a 17% increase  in cash production costs per tonne, and vi) a mark to market charge of

$8.5 million

against equity and bond investments.



Revenue



in Q3 Fiscal 2022 was

$59.1 million

, up 11% or

$5.8 million

compared to

$53.3 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021. The increase was mainly due to an increase of

$4.7 million

arising from the increase in the net realized lead and zinc selling prices, as well as

$2.1 million

arising from the increase in the quantities of silver, lead and gold sold; offset by a decrease of

$1.6 million

arising from the decrease in the quantities of zinc sold. Revenues from silver, gold, and base metals were

$31.7 million

,

$1.5 million

, and

$25.8 million

, respectively, compared to

$30.7 million

,

$1.2 million

, and

$21.4 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021. Revenue from the Ying Mining District was

$48.2 million

, up 13%, compared to

$42.5 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021. Revenue from the GC Mine was

$10.9 million

, up 1%, compared to

$10.8 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021.






Income from mine operations



in Q3 Fiscal 2022 was

$21.5 million

, down 13% compared to

$24.8 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021. Income from mine operations at the Ying Mining District was

$17.6 million

, down 19% compared to

$21.7 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021. Income from mine operations at the GC Mine was

$4.0 million

, up 21% compared to

$3.3 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021.



Cash flow provided by operating activities



in Q3 Fiscal 2022 was

$28.7 million

, up 20% or

$4.7 million

, compared to

$23.9 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021.


The Company ended the quarter with

$211.6 million

in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments,


down

$9.5 million

or 4% compared to

$221.1 million



as at



September 30, 2021

, but


up

$12.5 million

or 6%, compared to

$199.1 million

as at

March 31, 2021

.


Working capital


as at

December 31, 2021

was

$181.3 million

, down 1% or

$2.7 million

, compared to

$184.0 million

as at

March 31, 2021

.




CONSOLIDATED






OPERATIONAL RESULTS





Three months ended December 31,



Nine months ended December 31,



2021


2020


Changes



2021


2020


Changes



Ore Production (tonne)



Ore mined



292,072


279,445



5%



815,775


801,853



2%



Ore milled



304,772


260,648



17%



819,665


786,907



4%



Metal Production



Silver (in thousands of ounces)



1,834


1,677



9%



5,003


5,136



-3%



Gold (in thousands of ounces)



1.1


0.9



22%



2.9


3.2



-9%



Lead (in thousands of pounds)



18,978


17,111



11%



52,469


56,274



-7%



Zinc (in thousands of pounds)



8,030


8,673



-7%



22,711


23,339



-3%



Cash Costs



Cash cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits

($)




(1.33)


(2.76)



52%



(1.47)


(2.08)



29%



All-in sustaining cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits

($)




8.82


6.92



27%



7.88


6.48



22%



Cash production cost per tonne of ore processed ($)



85.73


73.04



17%



83.09


70.02



19%



All-in sustaining cost per tonne of ore processed ($)



137.04


129.09



6%



134.91


122.02



11%



In Q3 Fiscal 2022,


the Company


mined


292,072 tonnes of ore, up 5% or 12,627 tonnes, compared to 279,445 tonnes in the three months ended

December 31, 2020

(“Q3 Fiscal 2021”).


O


re milled in Q3 Fiscal 2022 was 304,772 tonnes, up 17% or 44,124 tonnes, compared to 260,648 tonnes in Q3 Fiscal 2021


.


In Q3 Fiscal 2022, the Company sold approximately 1.7 million ounces of silver, 1,100 ounces of gold, 17.2 million pounds of lead, and 7.6 million pounds of zinc, representing increases of 4%, 38%, and 2% in silver, gold and lead sold, respectively, and a decrease of 15% in zinc sold, compared to approximately 1.6 million ounces of silver, 800 ounces of gold, 16.8 million pounds of lead, and 9.0 million pounds of zinc sold in Q3 Fiscal 2021.


In Q3 Fiscal 2022, the consolidated cash production cost


s


per tonne of ore processed was

$85.73

, up 17% compared to

$73.04

in Q3 Fiscal 2021.




T


he consolidated all-in sustaining production cost per tonne of ore processed was

$137.04

, up 6% compared to

$129.09

in Q3 Fiscal 2021, but within the Company’s current annual cost guidance.


In Q3 Fiscal 2022, the consolidated cash cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits, was negative

$1.33

, compared to negative

$2.76

in the prior year quarter. The increase was mainly due to the increase in per tonne cash production costs, offset by an increase of

$2.19

in by-product credits per ounce of silver. Sales from lead and zinc in Q3 Fiscal 2022 amounted to

$24.2 million

, up

$3.4 million

compared to

$20.8 million

in Q3 Fiscal 2021.


The consolidated all-in sustaining cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits, was

$8.82

, compared to

$6.92

in Q3 Fiscal 2021.  The increase was mainly due to the increase in cash cost per ounce of silver as discussed above.


In Q3 Fiscal 2022, on a consolidated basis, a total of 127,532 metres or

$7.3 million

worth of diamond drilling were completed (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 98,986 metres or

$2.8 million

), of which approximately 83,430 metres or

$2.3 million

worth of underground drilling were expensed as part of mining costs (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 74,070 metres or

$1.8 million

) and approximately 44,102 metres or

$5.0 million

worth of drilling were capitalized (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 24,916 metres or

$1.0 million

). In addition, approximately 8,705 metres or

$3.3 million

worth of preparation tunnelling were completed and expensed as part of mining costs (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 10,624 metres or

$3.8 million

), and approximately 22,958 metres or

$9.9 million

worth of tunnels, raises, ramps and declines were completed and capitalized (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 21,829 metres or

$9.4 million

).






INDIVIDUAL MINE OPERATING PERFORMANCE





Ying Mining District



Q3 2022


Q2 2022


Q1 2022


Q4 2021


Q3 2021



Nine months ended December 31,



December 31, 2021


September 30, 2021


June 30, 2021


March 31, 2021


December 31, 2020



2021


2020



Ore Production (tonne)



Ore mined



200,946


206,933


142,907


112,561


182,268



550,786


537,464



Ore milled



214,982


182,173


155,407


131,725


162,905



552,562


519,677



Head grades



Silver (gram/tonne)



258


283


279


280


297



272


293



Lead (%)



3.7


4.0


4.2


3.9


4.3



3.9


4.4



Zinc (%)



0.8


0.7


0.8


0.8


0.8



0.8


0.8



Recovery rates



Silver (%)



95.1


95.4


94.7


93.7


93.9



95.1


94.4



Lead (%)



95.2


95.5


95.7


95.1


96.4



95.5


96.2



Zinc (%)



64.0


56.0


59.7


65.0


63.3



60.3


61.7



Cash Costs



Cash cost per ounce of Silver, net of by-product credits

($)




1.19


0.71


0.80


1.20


(1.12)



0.90


(0.71)



All-in sustaining cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits

($)




8.36


6.88


6.54


10.00


5.24



7.27


5.31



Cash production cost per tonne of ore processed ($)



99.24


96.59


92.79


98.13


83.09



96.63


79.77



All-in sustaining cost per tonne of ore processed ($)



143.72


141.26


138.55


155.14


133.07



141.53


127.40



Metal Production



Silver (in thousands of ounces)



1,647


1,517


1,283


1,083


1,464



4,447


4,532



Gold (in thousands of ounces)



1.1


0.8


1.0


0.3


0.9



2.9


3.2



Lead (in thousands of pounds)



16,392


14,671


13,278


10,504


14,361



44,341


47,382



Zinc (in thousands of pounds)



2,347


1,584


1,519


1,496


1,857



5,450


5,420



In Q3 Fiscal 2022, a total of 103,891 metres or

$4.9 million

worth of diamond drilling were completed (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 82,317 metres or

$2.2 million

), of which approximately 69,232 metres or

$1.8 million

worth of underground drilling were expensed as part of mining costs (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 57,401 metres or

$1.2 million

) and approximately 34,659 metres or

$3.1 million

worth of drilling were capitalized (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 24,916 metres or

$1.0 million

). In addition, approximately 6,750 metres or

$2.7 million

worth of preparation tunnelling were completed and expensed as part of mining costs (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 6,623 metres or

$2.8 million

), and approximately 19,059 metres or

$8.7 million

worth of horizontal tunnels, raises, ramps, and declines were completed and capitalized (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 19,014 metres or

$8.3 million

).



GC Mine



Q3 2022


Q2 2022


Q1 2021


Q4 2021


Q3 2021



Nine months ended December 31,



December 31, 2021


September 30, 2021


June 30, 2021


March 31, 2021


December 31, 2020



2021


2020



Ore Production (tonne)



Ore mined



91,126


85,535


88,328


50,511


97,177



264,989


264,389



Ore milled



89,790


89,643


87,670


48,949


97,743



267,103


267,230



Head grades



Silver (gram/tonne)



78


73


80


87


82



77


85



Lead (%)



1.5


1.7


1.5


1.7


1.4



1.5


1.7



Zinc (%)



3.2


3.3


3.3


3.3


3.5



3.3


3.4



Recovery rates



Silver (%)



83.5


84.4


84.1


81.9


82.6



84.0


82.6



Lead (%)



89.0


89.5


89.3


89.7


89.6



89.3


89.5



Zinc (%)



89.8


89.6


89.3


88.2


89.7



89.6


88.2



Cash Costs



Cash cost per ounce of Silver, net of by-product credits

($)




(25.84)


(22.51)


(17.96)


(12.80)


(14.43)



(21.84)


(11.21)



All-in sustaining cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits

($)




(9.81)


(11.61)


(7.98)


0.52


(1.05)



(9.73)


(0.10)



Cash production cost per tonne of ore processed ($)



56.10


55.81


52.90


58.56


54.07



54.92


50.11



All-in sustaining cost per tonne of ore processed ($)



81.50


73.76


71.67


87.69


78.63



75.65


71.58



Metal Production



Silver (in thousands of ounces)



187


179


190


112


212



556


604



Lead (in thousands of pounds)



2,586


2,942


2,600


1,652


2,750



8,128


8,892



Zinc (in thousands of pounds)



5,683


5,899


5,679


3,176


6,816



17,261


17,919


In Q3 Fiscal 2022, a total of 18,183 metres or

$0.6 million

worth of diamond drilling were completed (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 17,029 metres or

$0.6 million

), of which approximately 14,198 metres or

$0.5 million

worth of underground drilling were expensed as part of mining costs (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 17,029 metres or

$0.6 million

) and approximately 3,985 metres or

$0.1 million

worth of drilling were capitalized (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – nil). In addition, approximately 1,955 metres or

$0.5 million

worth of preparation tunnelling were completed and expensed as part of mining costs (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 4,001 metres or

$1.0 million

), and approximately 3,899 metres or

$1.2 million

worth of horizontal tunnels, raises, ramps, and declines were completed and capitalized (Q3 Fiscal 2021 – 2,815 metres or

$1.1 million

).




FISCAL 2023 PRODUCTION, CASH COST AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURES GUIDANCE



In Fiscal 2023, the Company expects to mine and process approximately 1,040,000 – 1,140,000 tonnes of ore, yielding 6,300 to 7,900 ounces of gold, 7.0 million to 7.3 million ounces of silver, 68.4 million to 71.3 million pounds of lead, and 32.0 million to 34.5 million pounds of zinc.  Fiscal 2023 production guidance represents an anticipated increase of approximately 9% in ore, 100% in gold, 11% in silver, 3% in lead, and 12% to 21% in zinc production compared to the


Fiscal 2022


guidance.



Ore processed



Head grades



Metal production



Production costs



Gold



Silver



Lead



Zinc



Gold



Silver



Lead



Zinc



Cash cost



AISC*



(tonnes)



(g/t)



(g/t)



(%)



(%)



(koz)



(Moz)



(Mlbs)



(Mlbs)



($/t)



($/t)



Fiscal 2023 Guidance


Gold ore


30,000 – 43,000


3.9


60


0.5




3.4 – 4.9


0.1 – 0.1


0.3 – 0.5








Silver ore


710,000 – 731,000


0.1


287


3.9


0.9


2.9 – 3.0


6.2 – 6.4


58.6 – 60.4


8.2 – 8.5







Ying Mining District



740,000 – 774,000



0.3



276



3.8



0.9



6.3 – 7.9



6.3 – 6.5



58.9 – 60.9



8.2 – 8.5



92.3 – 93.7



143.5 – 145.7



GC Mine



300,000 – 330,000







93



1.6



3.7







0.7 – 0.8



9.5 – 10.4



21.8 – 24.0



54.9 – 57.5



86.1 – 92.0



Consolidated



1,040,000 – 1,140,000



0.2



224



3.2



1.7



6.3 – 7.9



7.0 – 7.3



68.4 – 71.3



32.0 – 34.5



83.3 – 85.9



141.6 – 143.5


The increased production guidance is made possible by over 629,000 metres of exploration and resource upgrade drilling completed at the mines from 2020 to 2021.  During 2021 alone, over 409,000 metres of drilling were completed.  Other benefits of the extensive drilling include: i) slowing down the rate of mining depth increase, and with some mines, average mining depths are becoming shallower;  and ii) reducing the amount of tunnel development as more resources and reserves were identified near existing infrastructures.


The table below summarizes the work plan and estimated capital expenditures in Fiscal 2023.



Capitalized Development Work and Expenditures



Expensed



Ramp Development



Exploration and

Development Tunnels



Capitalized Drilling



Equipment,

Mill and  TSF



Total



Mining

Preparation

Tunnnels



Underground

driling



(Metres)



($ Million)



(Metres)



($ Million)



(Metres)



($ Million)



($ Million)



($ Million)



(Metres)



(Metres)



Fiscal 2023 Capitalized Work Plan and Capita Expenditure Estimates


Ying Mining District


4,600


3.2


61,300


26.3


110,700


6.8


44.6



80.9


29,000


135,300


GC Mine






13,200


4.2


14,800


0.4


1.9



6.5


7,600


46,600


Corporate and others










10,500


0.7


0.5



1.2







Consolidated



4,600



3.2



74,500



30.5



136,000



7.9



47.0



88.6



36,600



181,900


In Fiscal 2023, the Company plans to: i) complete 4,600 metres of 4×4.2 metre tunnels as major access and transportation ramps at estimated capitalized expenditures of

$3.2 million

, representing a 30% decrease in meterage and a 43% decrease in total cost compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance; ii) complete 74,500 metres of exploration and mining development tunnels (2.2×2.6 metres) at estimated capitalized expenditures of

$30.5 million

, representing a 19% increase in meterage and a 40% increase in cost


mainly due to


increased tunnel dimension to allow small scale mechanized equipment access, compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance; iii) complete and capitalize 136,000 metres of drilling at an estimated cost of

$7.9 million

, representing a 172% increase in meterage to prepare for future production and a 126% increase in total cost compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance; and iv) spend

$47.0 million

on equipment, mill and TSF (tailing storage facility), including

$39.9 million

towards the construction of a new 3,000 tonne per day flotation mill and 20 million cubic metre TSF at the Ying Mining District.


Excluding the capital expenditures to be incurred on the new mill and tailings storage facility, the total capital expenditures are budgeted at

$48.7 million

, up 27% compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance,




mainly as a result of increased tunneling and drilling work, and a substantial increase in the price of explosives.


In addition to the capitalized tunneling and drilling work, I Company also plans to complete and expense 36,600 metres of mining preparation tunnels and 181,900 metres of underground definition drilling.


(a)


Ying Mining District


In Fiscal 2023, the Company plans to mine and process


740,000 – 774,000 tonnes of ore at the Ying Mining District, including


30,000 – 43,000 tonnes of gold ore with an expected head grade of 3.9 g/t gold, to produce 6,300 to 7,900 ounces of gold, 6.3 million to 6.5 million ounces of silver, 58.9 million to 60.9 million pounds of lead, and 8.2 million to 8.5 million pounds of zinc. Fiscal 2023 production guidance at the Ying Mining District represents increases of approximately 10% in ore production, 10% in silver production, 3% in lead production, and 5% in zinc production.


The cash production cost is expected to be

$92.3

to

$93.7

per tonne of ore, and the all-in sustaining cost is estimated at

$143.5

to

$145.7

per tonne of ore processed.


In Fiscal 2023, the Ying Mining District plans to: i) complete 4,600 metres of 4×4.2 metre tunnels  as major access and transportation ramps at estimated capitalized expenditures of

$3.2 million

, representing a 25% decrease in meterage and a 38% decrease in total cost compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance;  ii) complete 61,300 metres of exploration and mining development tunnels (2.2×2.6 metres) at estimated capitalized expenditures of

$26.3 million

, representing a 17% increase in meterage and a 40% increase in cost mainly due to increased tunnel dimension to allow small scale mechanized equipment access, compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance; iii) complete and capitalize 110,700 metres of drilling at an estimated cost of

$6.8 million

, representing a 121% increase in meterage to prepare  for future production and a 94% increase in total costs compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance; and iv) spend

$44.6 million

on equipment, mill and TSF, including

$39.9 million

towards the construction of a new 3,000 tonne per day flotation mill and 20 million cubic metre TSF.


Excluding the

$39.9 million

capital expenditures to be incurred on the new mill and tailings storage facility, the total capital expenditures at the Ying Mining District are budgeted


at

$41.0 million

, up 21% compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance as a result of increased tunneling and drilling work, and a substantial increase in the price of explosives.


In addition to the capitalized tunneling and drilling work,


the Company also plans to complete and expense 29,000 metres of mining preparation tunnels and 135,300 metres of underground drilling at the Ying Mining District.


(b)


GC Mine


In Fiscal 2023, the Company plans to mine and process 300,000 to 330,000 tonnes of ore at the GC Mine to produce 700 thousand to 800 thousand  ounces of silver, 9.5 million to 10.4 million pounds of lead, and 21.8 million to 24.0 million pounds of zinc. Fiscal 2023 production guidance at the GC Mine represents increases of approximately 3% to 6% in ore production, 14% to 17% in silver production, 12% to 14% in lead production, and 14% to 26% in zinc production compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance.


The cash production cost is expected to be

$54.9

to

$57.5

per tonne of ore, and the all-in sustaining cost is estimated at

$86.1

to

$92.0

per tonne of ore processed.


In Fiscal 2023, the GC Mine plans to: i) complete and capitalize 13,200 metres of exploration and development tunnels (2.2×2.6 metres) at estimated capital expenditures of

$4.2 million

, a 28% increase in meterage and a 40% increase in  cost mainly due to increased tunnel dimension to allow small scale mechanized equipment access,  compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance; ii) complete and capitalize 14,800 metres of drilling at an estimated cost of

$0.4 million

, representing a 100% increase in meterage and cost to prepare for future production, compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance; and iii) spend

$1.9 million

on equipment and facilities. The total capital expenditures at the GC Mine are budgeted at

$6.5 million

in Fiscal 2023, up

$2.1 million

compared to Fiscal 2022 guidance.


In addition to the capitalized tunneling and drilling work, the Company also plans to complete and expense 7,600 metres of tunnels and 46,600 metres of underground drilling at the GC Mine.


(c)


Kuanping Project


Total capital expenditures at the Kuanping Project in Fiscal 2023 are estimated at

$1.2 million

, including

$0.7 million

for a 10,500 metre drilling program and

$0.5 million

to complete necessary reports and studies to apply for the mining permit.




CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS







A conference call to discuss these results will be held tomorrow,

Wednesday, February 9

, at

9:00 am PDT

(

12:00 pm EDT

). To participate in the conference call, please dial the numbers below.



Canada

/

USA

TF: 888-664-6383


International Toll: 416-764-8650


Conference ID: 38852202


Participants should dial-in 10 – 15 minutes prior to the start time.  A replay of the conference call and transcript will be available on the Company’s website at


www.silvercorp.ca


.


Mr.

Guoliang Ma

, P.Geo., Manager of Exploration and Resources of the Company, is the Qualified Person


as defined by


National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and has reviewed and consented to the technical information contained in this news release


.



This earnings release should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Management Discussion & Analysis (“MD&A”), Financial Statements and Notes to Financial Statements for the three and nine months ended

December 31, 2021

, which have been posted on SEDAR under the Company’s profile at




www.sedar.com and are also available on the Company’s website at

www.silvercorp.ca

under the Investor section. This earnings release refers to various alternative performance (non-IFRS) measures, such as adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share, cash cost and all-in sustaining cost per ounce of silver, net of by-product credits, cash production cost and all-in sustaining production cost per tonne of ore processed and working capital. These measures are widely used in the mining industry as a benchmark for performance, but do not have standardized meanings under IFRS as an indicator of performance and may differ from methods used by other companies with similar description.  The detailed description and reconciliation of these alternative performance (non-IFRS) measures have been incorporated by reference and can be found on page 26, section 12 – Alternative Performance (Non-IFRS) Measures in the MD&A for the three and nine months ended

December 31, 2021

.



About Silvercorp


Silvercorp is a profitable Canadian mining company producing gold, silver, lead and zinc metals in concentrates from mines in

China

. The Company’s goal is to continuously create healthy returns to shareholders through efficient management, organic growth, and the acquisition of profitable projects. Silvercorp balances profitability, social and environmental relationships, employees’ wellbeing, and sustainable development. For more information, please visit our website at



www.silvercorp.ca



.



CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER – FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS


Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “expects”, “is expected”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “plans”, “projects”, “estimates”, “assumes”, “intends”, “strategies”, “targets”, “goals”, “forecasts”, “objectives”, “budgets”, “schedules”, “potential” or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Company’s material properties; the sufficiency of the Company’s capital to finance the Company’s operations; estimates of the Company’s revenues and capital expenditures; estimated production from the Company’s mines in the Ying Mining District and the GC Mine; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Company’s operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Company’s properties.


Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks relating to: global economic and social impact of COVID-19; fluctuating commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization and precious and base metal recovery; interpretations and assumptions of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; exploration and development programs; feasibility and engineering reports; permits and licences; title to properties; property interests; joint venture partners; acquisition of commercially mineable mineral rights; financing; recent market events and conditions; economic factors affecting the Company; timing, estimated amount, capital and operating expenditures and economic returns of future production; integration of future acquisitions into the Company’s existing operations; competition; operations and political conditions; regulatory environment in

China

and

Canada

; environmental risks; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; insurance; risks and hazards of mining operations; key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management; internal control over financial reporting; and bringing actions and enforcing judgments under U.S. securities laws.


This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company’s forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, those referred to in the Company’s Annual Information Form under the heading “Risk Factors”.  Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.


The Company’s forward-looking statements are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this news release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.


Cision
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SOURCE Silvercorp Metals Inc